Ernest Henry Woods (1880-1918), husband of Edith May née Ascroft (1886-1981). The picture of him in uniform is creased from 60 years of being caressed by his widow.

Ernest Henry Woods was born at Bootle in 1881, the son of Charles and Ellen Woods.

He married Edith Mary Ascroft at St.Thomas' C.of E. Church, Melling on the 5th June 1907.

Ernest and Edith had three children. The two eldest, Gladys Mable and Alfred Ernest were born in Canada in 1908 and 1910. A daughter, Edith May, was born in the West Derby Registration District on 1.10.1918.

A report on Ernest's death appeared in the Bootle Times on the 20th December 1918.

SON-IN-LAW OF BOOTLE ALDERMAN. Numerous friends in Bootle and Orrell will learn with regret of the death of Mr. Ernest Henry Woods, of the Royal Air Force, who died at Formby on Tuesday from pneumonia supervening on influenza. An especially sad circumstance of his death at the early age of 37 years was the fact he was home on twelve days leave. Since sympathy is felt for his widow, a daughter of the late Alderman Peter Ascroft, of "Lurlie," Breeze-hill, Bootle. The funeral takes place at Bootle Borough Cemetery this (Friday) afternoon at 2 p.m.Bootle Times 20th December 1918

Good morning Henry they are lovely photos and see nice to see the people we have been searching for, I have a little more information for you on Ernest and Edith in Canada. in 1911 they are residing at 402 grave street (I have been unable to trace a Grave street and suspect it may have been mistranscribed) in the enumeration district 57 Calgary. At this address are Ernest 30, Edith 25, Mabel born feb 1908 3, and Alfred born July 1910 11/12ths. Arrival date to Canada Ernest 1904 and Edith 1906, Ernest is listed as Manager Lumber yard with an annual salary of $1200.00 (1910 earnings). A search of Lumber yards shows very many so can't hazard a guess at which one, you may find the following link interesting as to life in Calgary:::

Interesting that my grandfather went out first. I think they married in 1906 so he must have come back for her.

Yes I was struck by the fact that Nellie arrived in Calgary at about the time my grandparents left. Perhaps Calgary was much talked about in Bootle. Or maybe my grandmother fixed Nellie up with a job as a way of getting rid of her for her brother.

It would seem that Ellen/Nellie lived to a good age in Calgary living to 90 odd, I finally had a look at the divorce petition of Flash Harry and Nellie and as was the case in those rather flowery language and now obsolete meanings( I have a couple of real doozies in my family tree from around the same era) and I noted that the solicitor for Harry was W H Quilliam. I would think that he was retained by Harrys father as there is mention of Nellie discussing the matter at Lurlei with Peter Ascroft, with WH Quilliam in attendance. I had reason to research Mr Quilliam some time back and thought you might be interested. The following is from Wiki

William Henry Quilliam (10 April 1856[1][2][3] – 23 April 1932), who changed his name to Abdullah Quilliam and later Henri Marcel Leon or Haroun Mustapha Leon, was a 19th-century convert from Christianity to Islam, noted for founding England's first mosque and Islamic centre.

William Henry Quilliam was born at 22 Eliot Street, Liverpool, on 10 April 1856, to a wealthy local family. He spent most of his childhood on the Isle of Man and was brought up as a Methodist. He was educated at the Liverpool Institute and the Manx King William's College.[4]He became a solicitor in 1878, specialising in criminal law, and practising at 28 Church Street, Liverpool.[5] He was described at one point by the Liverpool Weekly Courier as the "unofficial Attorney-General of Liverpool". He defended suspects in many high-profile murder cases. He married Hannah Johnstone in 1879.[4] At this time, Quilliam was also a proponent of the temperance movement in the UK.[6]

Quilliam converted to Islam in 1887 after visiting Morocco to recover from an illness. Quilliam purchased numbers 8, 11 and 12 Brougham Terrace, Liverpool, following his conversion, through a donation from Nasrullah Khan, Crown Prince of Afghanistan. 8 Brougham Terrace became the Liverpool Muslim Institute, the first functioning mosque in Britain. He also opened a boarding school for boys and a day school for girls, as well as an orphanage, Medina House, for non-Muslim parents who could not look after their children but agreed for them to be brought up as Muslims. In addition, the Institute hosted educational classes covering a wide range of subjects, and included a museum and science laboratory.[4] It opened on Christmas Day, 1889.[7]In 1889, he first published The Faith of Islam, which was concerned with dawah to Islam and its key principles.[7] Initially, 2000 copies were published, but a further 3000 copies were produced in 1890.[4] Quilliam also published The Crescent, a weekly account of Muslims in Britain, and Islamic World, a monthly publication with a worldwide audience.[4] In 1890, Quilliam orchestrated protests against the showing of Hall Caine's play, Mahomet. 1891 saw the first public Muslim burial in Liverpool, of Michael Hall, a former Methodist preacher who converted to Islam.[5]The 26th and final Ottoman Caliph, Abdul Hamid II, granted Quilliam the title of Sheikh al-Islam for the British Isles. Also, the Emir of Afghanistan recognised him as the Sheikh of Muslims in Britain and he was appointed as Persian Vice Counsel in Liverpool by the Shah.[4]A number of notables converted to Islam as a result of Quilliam's preaching. They included professors Nasrullah Warren and Haschem Wilde, as well as Resched P. Stanley, the former Mayor of Staleybridge. It is estimated that around 600 people converted to Islam in the UK as a direct result of Quilliam's work.[4]He travelled extensively and received many honours from the leaders of the Islamic world. He had contact with English-speaking West African Muslims and toured the region's coastal cities on his way to Lagos to attend the consecration of the Shitta Bey Mosque in 1894.[8]Quilliam's work in Liverpool stopped when he left England in 1908 in advance of being struck off as a solicitor.[9][10] His son swiftly disposed of the property that had been used as a mosque and Islamic centre. Without Quilliam's influence and funding, the Muslim community in Liverpool dispersed.He had returned to the UK by December 1914 under the name of H. M. Leon.[11] He spent much of his time at Onchan on the Isle of Man. He died in Taviton Street, Bloomsbury, London in 1932,[12] and was buried in Brookwood Cemetery near Woking. The prominent Anglo-Muslims Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall (who each translated the Qur'an), and Lord Headley were later buried near him.]Quilliam argued that Muslims should not fight Muslims on behalf of European powers.[13] He denounced British foreign policy in Sudan[14] and called for a worldwide Caliphate.[15] It was as a result of his political views and his allegiance to the Ottoman Caliph that led some to denounce him as a traitor.[16]Legacy[edit]His legacy is principally maintained by the Abdullah Quilliam Society, which was founded in 1996. The society is currently aiming to restore the Liverpool Muslim Institute on Brougham Terrace, and is in the process of completing Phases Three and Four of this restoration.[17] The society has been assisted by academics including Ron Geaves, formerly of Liverpool Hope University, and Mehmet Seker of Dokuz Eylül University. The society also offers university student accommodation.[18]The Quilliam Foundation, a think tank aimed at challenging extremist Islamist ideologies, was launched in 2008

Sorry I meant to ask, did you find any evidence of what Nellie and Constance did for the rest of their lives? Did Nellie and Albert Prime have children? Did Constance marry? Maybe they have living descendents? If so they would be my quite close relatives, as Constance was my mother's first cousin.

Finding Constance was quite a challenge as there are no BMD's online I found a grave reference for Ellen/Nellie Ascroft Prime (nee Foley) she had a long life exceeding 90 years. Of Constance no trace until I found a border crossing for Ellen and her husband and both listed a David (couldn't attempt a try at surname as too badly written) as a son in law. This led me to thinking that Constance was dead (early 1940's) so I tried for a grave in Calgary and finally came up with a Constance Drinnan died 1936. Following that I found a family tree on Ancestry showing a David Drinnan but with wife and children listed as Private. I know that David Drinnan married a second time so the hildren and there are a lot of them may or may not belong to Constance. I have no evidence to back any of this up other than the crossing record, so with your permission I would send a message to the tree holder to see if they can confirm??????

The other likely one is Marians son Cecil Pritchard, Marian remarried a Mr Brewerton in Fylde in 1951 and lived in that area, as I live in Australia may be easier for you to check directories etc in that area.

Great to read this discussion thread. My husband's descended from Peter's brother John Ascroft (1839-1891) who married Margaret Wilde. They lived at No. 51 Linacre Road, above their chandler's shop, and the property stayed in the family until after World War 2. I would be interested to know if it's still there? I'm visiting Liverpool in April.Thanks,Lesley

Yes, that's correct, his mayoralty was 1900/1901 according to the Bootle Centenary Supplement I have a copy of. His obituary also says he became mayor in 1900.

Thanks so much bobhamo for the information about No. 51 Linacre Road. I love the old photos and the confirmation she was running the shop in 1911, 20 years after her husband died. Yes it was bombed during the war (I have the correspondence with War Damages Commission) and the modern photo confirms I the building has changed so much that I can spend my limited time in Liverpool elsewhere.

Lesley linacre road area was full of shops the shop was still open in 1968 i must haved walked past hundredsof times Peter was still a derby ward councillorit does look like peter on the endanother snippet from 1895 Peter objected to new pubs being openedit states he was the owner of 150 houses in the areawhere was he buried????bobhamo

HvonBlumenthal wrote:Nice one Sherlock! Yes please go ahead and contact them ( I don't see that you need my permission!) and do mention that Id be interested in being in touch. By the way I have a tree on geni.com

I sent off a message today and hopefully we will get a reply further checking reveals 2 David Drinnans born within 5 years of each and living in Calgary (what odds on that ) so fingers crossed.

Still awaiting an answer from person in Canada, but thought you might like to know that Flash Harry got a mention all the way down under in the Sydney Morning Herald 1906 (don't bother with the translation it's rubbish have a look at the article;;;;;;

lily8 wrote:Finding Constance was quite a challenge as there are no BMD's online I found a grave reference for Ellen/Nellie Ascroft Prime (nee Foley) she had a long life exceeding 90 years. Of Constance no trace until I found a border crossing for Ellen and her husband and both listed a David (couldn't attempt a try at surname as too badly written) as a son in law. This led me to thinking that Constance was dead (early 1940's) so I tried for a grave in Calgary and finally came up with a Constance Drinnan died 1936. Following that I found a family tree on Ancestry showing a David Drinnan but with wife and children listed as Private. I know that David Drinnan married a second time so the hildren and there are a lot of them may or may not belong to Constance. I have no evidence to back any of this up other than the crossing record, so with your permission I would send a message to the tree holder to see if they can confirm??????

The other likely one is Marians son Cecil Pritchard, Marian remarried a Mr Brewerton in Fylde in 1951 and lived in that area, as I live in Australia may be easier for you to check directories etc in that area.

Cheers

Hello again and sorry for long absence. Life happened while Iwas making other plans....

I found Nellie’s place and date of death in the US Social Security records. The surprise is that she died as Ascroft, suggesting she did not actually marry Albert Prime, or if she did she divorced him and went back to her first husband’s name.

A sad life,full of broken dreams. Raped by her employer at 15, she was seduced by my great uncle with promises of marriage, tricked, cheated and dumped. Her next marriage didn’t seem to work out. Her daughter predeceased her by 32 years. She died far from her roots, so far as I can see without family. She was my mother’s first cousin and I never heard of her until a year ago.

Ellen Ascroft (born Foley)1879 - 1968

U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI)Ellen FoleyAdds: residenceBirth:July 25 1879Death:Jan 15 1968Last residence: Brooklyn, New York 11226, USASSN issuing state: New York

Hello again Henry can you tell me where you got that death information from as I cannot find the record under ASCROFT at all, I would like to check it out thanks and hope you are keeping well.Updated I don't think this is the right lady traced it back in the US census this seems to be a maiden lady born in New York.

I managed to access the papers relating to « Flash » Harry Ascroft ‘s case. I discovered yet another baby of his out of wedlock , born 1907 to Annie Grasby, a married woman; as well as in 1902 a bigamous marriage to a woman called Mary Bird.

So for the record:

1900. September: Harry Ascroft gets the maid, Nellie Foley, pregnant1901 June: Nellie has his daughter, Constance1901 December: He marries Nellie but signs himself Harry Trevor and then denies he’s married her1902 He marries Mary Bird1905 He surs Nellie for Jactitation of Marriage and loses. Courts confirm his marriage to Nellie is valid, therefore his marriage to Mary Bird is invalid1906 August: he gets a married woman, Annie Grasby, pregnant.1907 May: Annie bears him a baby boy1907 July: His former Solicitor, Quilliam, has him arrested and detained in Carnarvon Gaol to prevent him hiding his assets. Friends pay up. (Quilliam then flees to France and is struck off the solicitor ‘s list for falsifying divorce evidence in another case)1915: marries Annie Gouldon.1918 March: called up, fails to show up, arrested, fined.1919 Discharged having completed training but never seen action